Atheneum Books was a publishing house and adult publisher created by Alfred A. Knopf, Jr.

Alfred A. Knopf, Jr.

Alfred Abraham Knopf, Jr. was one of the founders of Atheneum Publishers in 1959.-Biography:He was the only child of publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. and Blanche Wolf. He was born in White Plains, New York, on June 17, 1918. At 7, in 1925 he was sent to a boarding school, first at the Riverdale...

 in 1959. He recruited editor Jean E. Karl

Jean E. Karl

Jean Edna Karl was an American book editor who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young adult and science fiction imprints at Atheneum Books, where she oversaw or edited books that won two Caldecott Medals and five Newbery Medals...

 personally, to come and establish a Children's Book Department in 1961.

In the 2000s Atheneum is a children's-book

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 imprint of Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...

. They have published the popular May Bird series, which includes May Bird and the Ever After

May Bird and the Ever After

May Bird and the Ever After is a fantasy/action novel by Jodi Lynn Anderson. It was released in 2005 and was the first book in the May Bird series. It was published by Antheneum.-Plot:...

. Other bestsellers include Olivia and the Newbery Medal

Newbery Medal

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...

 winner The Higher Power of Lucky

The Higher Power of Lucky

The Higher Power of Lucky is a children's novel written by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan. Released in 2006 by Simon & Schuster, it was awarded the 2007 Newbery Medal.-Plot summary:...

.

History

Created by Alfred A. Knopf, Jr. in 1959, it became the publisher of Pulitzer Prize

Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

 winners Edward Albee

Edward Albee

Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...

, Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson, Charlie Johnson, Charley Johnson or Chuck Johnson may refer to:-American public officials:*Charles Johnson , Democratic-Republican who represented 8th congressional district, 1801–1802...

, and Theodore H. White

Theodore H. White

Theodore Harold White was an American political journalist, historian, and novelist, known for his wartime reporting from China and accounts of the 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1980 presidential elections.-Life and career:...

. In 1961, Jean Karl created a children's division.

Atheneum merged with Charles Scribner's Sons

Charles Scribner's Sons

Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...

 to become The Scribner Book Company in 1978. The acquisition included Rawson Associates. Scribner was acquired by Macmillan

Macmillan Publishers (United States)

Macmillan Publishers USA, also known as Macmillan Publishing, is a privately held American publishing company owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than 30 others....

in 1984. Macmillan was purchased by Simon & Schuster in 1994.